Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-04-17

mhhe u cOupOeltiOH OF BVeu mos''.
the proper order and at the proper time
we will obtain metal which contains all
bevirtues Oft seven. Such compost
ton called electrum.' ltcontainsno
only the physical, but the astral virtues
of the seven metals that enter into It's
composition, and the electrum is one
OF the most valuable preparations
known to secret science. The ordinary
metals cannot be compared with 1t ON
account OF its magic power A yessei
made OF the electrnm will immediately
indicate il any poisonous substance has
been surreptitiously put into it, be-
cause it will begin TO sweat on the out
side"
And now we are going to let olr
readers into q few of the secrets IN
search of which men of old spent their
lives and their fortunes.
nere, first, h a prescription for the
manufacture OF artificial gold, taken
from an old alchemistical manuscript
Take equal parts OF powdered iron,
sublimated sulphur, and crude antimo-
nv. Melt il in a crucib.e and keep it in
rcd heat for eight hours. Powder it
and calcine it until the sulphur is
eyaporated. Mix two parts of this
powder with one part OF calcined borax
and melt it again. Powder end dis
solve il in common muriatic acid,
and let it stand in a moderate
heat for one month. The fluid Is
then TO be put into retort and dis
titled, and the fluid that collects in the
recipient (tbe muriatic acid) is returned
into the retort and again distilled, and
this is repeated three times. The third
time red powder will be left in the
retort. This powder is to be dissolved
i'll the "menstruum philosophicum, "
which is made By pouring chloride OF
anthony into water, filtering and
eyaporating the fluid to certain ex-
tent to make it stronger. The solution
is to be evaporated again, and the re-
naming powder mixed with its own
weight of corrosive sublimate of mer-
curry. This powder is to be dissolved
again in diluted muriatic acid, and dis
TILED until red, oily substance passes
into the receiver. If you obtain this
oil Won may take some newly-prepared
chloride Of silver, saturate it gradually
with the oil, and dry it. Put one part
Of this powder into five parts molten
lead. Separate the lead again from the
silver by cupellation, and you will find
that one third of the silver has been
transformed into gold.
1t would be cheaper and easier in the
long run if one could find the prescrip-
ton for the "Tinctura Physica,' a red
ethereal fluid which was capable of
transmitting all inferior metals into
gold, and had other wonderful virtues
SIS well. Paracelsus had the secret of
this fluid, he says, but has not revealed
it. Possibly the prescription is the
"treasure which he said he had buried
at the hospital of Weiden, and which is
"jewel of such a value that neither
Pope Leo nor the Emperor Carolus
could buy it with all his wealth.
He has told us, However, how to
make the "Electrum Magicum," out
Of which you may make a mirror in
which you may see the events Of the
past and the present, absent friends and
enemies, &c. Take ten parts of pure
gold, ten Of silver, five OF copper, two
Of tin, two of lead, one of powdered
iron. and five OF mercury-all pure met
ais. Wait untilSaturn and Mercurycome
into conjunction, having all your APP
planes ready for the fortunate mo-
ment. Then melt the lead, add the
mercury, and let it cool. Wait for a
conjunction of Jupiter with Saturn and
Mercury, then melt Your compound in
q crucible, and in another crucible tue
tin, and pour the two metals to-
eether Mt the moment of conjunction.
Wait for conjunction of the sun with
either of the planets, and then melt
and add the gold. Similarly, at con-
junction of the moon with the sun, or
Saturn, or Mercury, add the silver in
like manner; and at q conjunction of
Venus with any of the others, add the
copper. The last conjunction is with
Mars, when the iron is to be added, the
fluid stirred with a dry rod of witch
hazel, let it coOl-and there you are.
This is how to prepare the elixir OF
life, which Paracelsus did not-with all
respect to Sir Thomas Browne-hold
capable of rendering the physical body
immortal. but only of prolonging life /;
Take half a pound of pure carbonate of
potash and expose it in the air
until dissolved. Filter the fluid and
add as many leaves OF the plant
melissa as it will hold. Let it stand in
well-closed glass and in moderately
warm place for twenty-four hours. Re
move the leaves and throw them away
on the top of the fluid pour "absolute
alcohol" to the height of one or two
inches and let it remain until the alco-
hol becomes intensely green. Take
away the alcohol and preserve it, and
go on repeating the operation until
all the coloring matter is absorbed by
the alcohol from the alkaline fluid.
Now distill your alcoholic fluid and
evaporate it until it becomes syrup,
and that is your elixir of life, by which
IMAM may rejuvenate his constitution
by purifying it so that it may be able
TO receive without any interruption the
life-giving influence OF the divine
spirit.
A curious accident happened the
other day at Orange, n. j. A carpenter